An impressively thorough and well-rounded tour of the animation game.
A comprehensive, expanded edition of a 2014 how-to guide for readers seeking careers in animation.
Meroz, the creator of the animation training website Bloop Animation, explains that his art form is more than just classic cartoons: “Animation is the art of creating life,” he writes, and that act of creation is more complicated than many would expect. He begins by challenging a commonly held notion: “I always assumed animators had to be amazing fine artists,” he writes. “But there was another way to make movies: 3D animation,” which uses very different skills. Meroz then leads readers through the basic principles of animated works and the different types of animation, from traditional, frame-by-frame cel animation to stop-motion and more. In the book’s second part, Meroz explores his own experiences creating a short film, including the complex process of preproduction and storyboarding, and defines such terms as animatics. Meroz makes it clear that he can’t effectively teach readers everything they need to know about 3-D modeling or cinematography in a single chapter, but he strives to succinctly explain the basic, essential processes involved. He delves into technical aspects, such as rigging and pre-visualization, and artistic considerations, such as choosing a genre and a catchy title. He even provides detailed recommendations on how to cast voice actors and how to create a good first press kit. The author concludes by showing how animators can potentially monetize their art and get freelance work.
The author’s perspective in this book, as a recent animation school graduate making his way in the industry, nicely lends itself to concrete and practical advice. He’s clearly thought through every tricky detail that might halt someone’s progress when making a first film. He clearly explains the pros and cons of using YouTube, for example, and clarifies his own “Restriction Method,” which involves setting constraints that can foster creativity. His personal, conversational tone makes much of the text feel like the advice of a good friend. For instance, for those who have no idea where to start with a project, he urges, “Do what I did. Pick the simplest environment and focus on the characters.” Meroz never shies away from the many difficulties that animators face, however, and he honestly notes the large amount of work that one must put in: “If you’re an artist, and you don’t continually work on your art because you’re not inspired, there’s a very simple term for you: amateur.” In the book’s later sections, though, he drifts from how-to into self-help, advising readers on how to deal with rejection, waiting on potential jobs, and even talking to loved ones who are less than supportive. These sections may not appeal to those looking for a more technical manual, but Meroz is clearly writing to a very specific audience: people traveling the same career path as he is. For them, he certainly has a lot to say about getting the most out of their chosen art form.
An impressively thorough and well-rounded tour of the animation game.Pub Date: Oct. 19, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-73787-930-5
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Bloop Animation Studios
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Not so deep, but a delightful tip of the hat to the pleasures—and power—of glamour.
A coffee-table book celebrates Michelle Obama’s sense of fashion.
Illustrated with hundreds of full-color photographs, Obama’s chatty latest book begins with some school portraits from the author’s childhood in Chicago and fond memories of back-to-school shopping at Sears, then jumps into the intricacies of clothing oneself as the spouse of a presidential candidate and as the first lady. “People looked forward to the outfits, and once I got their attention, they listened to what I had to say. This is the soft power of fashion,” she says. Obama is grateful and frank about all the help she got along the way, and the volume includes a long section written by her primary wardrobe stylist, Koop—28 years old when she first took the job—and shorter sections by makeup artists and several hair stylists, who worked with wigs and hair extensions as Obama transitioned back to her natural hair, and grew out her bangs, at the end of her husband’s second term. Many of the designers of the author’s gowns, notably Jason Wu, who designed several of her more striking outfits, also contribute appreciative memories. Besides candid and more formal photographs, the volume features many sketches of her gowns by their designers, closeups on details of those gowns, and magazine covers from Better Homes & Gardens to Vogue. The author writes that as a Black woman, “I was under a particularly white-hot glare, constantly appraised for whether my outfits were ‘acceptable’ and ‘appropriate,’ the color of my skin somehow inviting even more judgment than the color of my dresses.” Overall, though, this is generally a canny, upbeat volume, with little in the way of surprising revelations.
Not so deep, but a delightful tip of the hat to the pleasures—and power—of glamour.Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780593800706
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Nov. 7, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
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